Crisp Cornish Game Hens with Spiced Cranberry-Honey Glaze

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 2.5 pound cornish game hens 
• 0.5 cup cranberries fresh thawed
• 0.3 cup 1/4 cup dried cranberry (juice sweetened if possible) 
• 1  garlic clove minced
• 2  garlic cloves minced
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.1 teaspoon ground pepper red
• 0.3 cup honey 
• 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 4 teaspoons olive oil divided
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves minced

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• kitchen thermometer
• broiler pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 42
2. To prepare hens, remove and discard giblets and necks from hens.
3. Remove skin; trim excess fat. Split hens in half lengthwise.
4. Combine thyme, salt, black pepper, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Rub surface of hens with thyme mixture.
5. To prepare glaze, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
6. Add 1 minced garlic clove, and cook 1 minute.
7. Add cranberries, juice, honey, cinnamon, and red pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes or until slightly syrupy.
8. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
9. Add hens, breast side down; cook 3 minutes.
10. Place hens, breast side up, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
11. Brush hens with half of glaze.
12. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165, brushing occasionally with remaining glaze.
13. Wine note: Both game birds and cranberry sauce are terrific partners for pinot noir. Because pinot noir has an earthy, sweet character, it perfectly highlights the meaty sweetness of a roasted bird. At the same time, pinot noir's good acidity is just the ticket as a complement to the cranberries. Try La Crema Pinot Noir 2004 from Russian River Valley, California ($29). -Karen MacNeil